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La France Gastronomique
– Our French Gourmet Tour
April 24 – May 6, 2007
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Per person: $4,250*
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"As an American having what I would consider
'everything at my disposal,' I enjoyed the ability
to live as the French do." – A. K.
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La France Gastronomique
includes: |
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A smart, well-traveled Journey Out guide dedicated to making the art,
history and culture of France come alive for you ● A family atmosphere with
a group of fewer than 15 gay men, lesbians and
their friends – less than half
the size of most tours ● 8 nights in three- and four-star hotels, 4 in a
two-star candidate for its third star ● All your breakfasts ● About half
your lunches and dinners, including two at Michelin-rated restaurants ●
Welcome party ● Wine tasting in Amboise and Beaune, plus a full-day tour of
the
Route des Vins d'Alsace, including wine tasting ● Full-day visit to
Loire Valley châteaux ● In Amboise, a visit to the Château Royal
d'Amboise, Clos Lucé, independent visit to Pâtisserie Bigot
chocolate shop ● In Beaune, an English-language tour of the town, including
les Hospices de Beaune ● A tour of Strasbourg by canal boat ●
Transportation between Paris, Amboise, Beaune and Strasbourg by train and
/or minibus ● Guide to the food and wine of France ● Cooking class taught by
a professional chef, with lunch ● Sunset dinner cruise along the Seine ●
History lectures, orientation talks and language tips ● All group
sightseeing tours, admissions and more ● Optional tour of Paris' tastiest
pastry and chocolate shops guided by a professional chef, available as an
add-on. Itinerary is subject to change.
To book your air
travel (not included) online, click
here. |
Itinerary
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Day
0 |
Monday |
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Depart USA — Remember, due to the time difference,
you'll arrive in Europe the day after you leave the U.S. |
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1 |
Tuesday |
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Paris to Amboise |
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Morning |
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Arrive at the Paris airport and travel by train to the town
of Amboise. Part of your journey is on France's high-speed TGV train
system. |
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Afternoon |
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In Amboise, settle into our four-star hotel, a charming 17th
century manor house lovingly restored by its owners. |
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Evening |
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After a wine and hors d'oevres reception, we dine together
at a family-style bistro. |
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2 |
Wednesday |
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Amboise |
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Morning |
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Today we
visit the Château Royal d’Amboise, The Château was built over the reign of
three kings and partly designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Its most prominent
occupant was François I, who at 22 enticed 65-year-old Leonardo da Vinci to
spend his final days here in Amboise.
We’ll stroll up the hill together to visit Clos
Lucé, the 15th century manor house where Leonardo da Vinci settled at the
end of his life. He brought with him just four paintings to enjoy, including
an unfinished portrait of Mona Lisa di Anton Maria Gherardini, the third
wife of a Florentine businessman named Francesco del Giocondo, which is how
the world's most famous painting arrived in France. |
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Afternoon |
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If you like,
have a wine tasting at nearby Le Caveau des Vignerons. You can
also visit Amboise's most delectable chocolate shop. Founded in 1913, the
shop is run by four generations of women. |
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Evening |
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Dinner tonight
is on your own. Your Tour Director will be glad to make recommendations. |
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3 |
Thursday |
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Amboise |
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Morning |
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If you like,
enjoy an all-day outing to visit several châteaux. See why the Loire Valley
is known in France as the Valley of Kings. |
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Afternoon |
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Free time. |
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Evening |
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Tonight we
enjoy one of France’s top restaurants. Some highlights from its description:
In the restaurant which overlooks the river and
from which one sees the gardens, the cuisine, which has been honored by
guidebooks, is light, refined and subtly regional . . . Pascal Bouvier, the
head chef, doesn't give in to the nonchalance of this region called the
"Garden of France," but instead brings the regional products together with
great sensitivity . . . There are more than 10,000 wines in our cellar. The
Loire Valley region is richly represented but one finds also Pétrus and
Richebourg . . .
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4 |
Friday |
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Amboise to Beaune |
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Morning |
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This morning,
sleep in or take one last stroll through the town. Take your time packing. |
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Afternoon |
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Our train to
Beaune departs Amboise around 12:45. Our travel time is just under
seven hours and we have one train change. There will be a dining car on the
train for those who would like a sit-down meal or a sandwich that can be
taken back to your seat. |
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Evening |
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In the
old-town center of Beaune we settle into a modest three-star hotel in a
charmingly ramshackle old building. Take time to freshen up before you head
out to explore the town and enjoy dinner on your own. Your Tour Director
will be glad to make suggestions.
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5 |
Saturday |
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Beaune |
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Morning |
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This morning we
have an orientation walk through the town, including a visit to Hospices de
Beaune. The Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death devastated Beaune,
leaving more than 90% of its population destitute. Nicholas Rolin,
chancellor of Burgundy, felt he must do something for his people, so in 1443
he built Les Hospices de Beaune, a flamboyant and richly-decorated hospital
for the poor. Also here is Rogier van der Weyden’s dramatic Last Judgment
polyptych, or multi-paneled painting. From the courtyard we’ll see the style
of tiled roofs that are typical in Beaune and became popular throughout the
Côte d’Or region. |
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Afternoon |
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Saturday
is town market day, so after our tour we’ll visit the market and choose what
we want for a picnic lunch. We’ll dine on the steps at a nearby park.
After lunch, we visit the Marché aux Vins
wine smorgasbord, the best way to sample Beaune’s impressive array of wines.
We’ll take a wine-tasting cup and plunge into a labyrinth of candlelit caves
dotted with 18 barrels, each offering a different tasting experience. Wine
stewards will guide us through the tasting.
The rest of your afternoon and early evening are
free. If you are feeling adventuresome, ask your Tour Director about
strolling above Beaune on a segment of its 13-century ramparts, and walking
to some vineyards that are just outside town.
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Evening |
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Tonight we enjoy a family-style dinner at a great
little restaurant situated in a wine cellar just a few blocks from our
hotel. |
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6 |
Sunday |
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Beaune to Strasbourg |
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Morning |
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Our train to
Strasbourg departs Beaune around 9:00; our travel time is just over five
hours and we have two train changes. We arrive in Strasbourg mid-afternoon.
There will be a dining car on the train for those who would like a sit-down
meal or a sandwich that can be taken back to your seat. |
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Afternoon |
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On our arrival in Strasbourg, we settle into our three-star
hotel, a small, quiet, charming hotel in the historical town center near the
Cathedral. Late afternoon, we meet for an orientation walk through the town. |
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Evening |
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In the evening we tour Strasbourg by canal boat and enjoy a
traditional Alsatian dinner at a nearby restaurant (you must try the
Tarte
à l'Oignon!) |
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7 |
Monday |
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Strasbourg |
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Morning and Afternoon |
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Today you will
enjoy an all-day
visit to nearby Colmar and a Route des Vins tour, which takes you to
outlying villages along France's Wine Road in Alsace. Wine tasting is
included. |
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Evening |
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Free time.
You are on your own for dinner tonight. Your Tour
Director will be glad to help with restaurant recommendations. |
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8 |
Tuesday |
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Strasbourg |
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Morning |
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Free time. |
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Afternoon |
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This
afternoon we lunch at one of Strasbourg's best restaurants. Michelin stars
are the source of intense pride and pain in the great restaurants. Only a
handful of restaurants in France have ever achieved three stars. Each year
Michelin’s new ratings spark not only celebration but also despair, even
suicide. Chef Emile Jung writes:
My wife Monique and I took over the restaurant
thirty years ago. The Michelin Guide to gourmet cooking recognized its
excellence in 1989 by bestowing upon it a third star, which has been our
constant source of pride for the past thirteen years. The loss of that mark
of distinction came as a shock to all of us. There are no words to express
our pain . . .
Despite loss of the star, we trust our restaurant will
provide a memorable dining experience. Our lunch will be a full four-course
meal with drinks.
After lunch you will have time to relax and explore
the town.
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Evening |
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Free time. Enjoy dinner on your own, and perhaps a visit to one of
Strasbourg's gay bars. |
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9 |
Wednesday |
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Strasbourg to Paris |
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Morning |
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Your morning is
free today. You are welcome to leave your bag at the hotel after checking
out while you enjoy a last look at Strasbourg and perhaps have an early
lunch. |
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Afternoon |
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Our train
to Paris departs Strasbourg around 1:00 p.m.; our travel time is about four
hours and we have no train changes. There will be a dining car on the train
for those who would like a sit-down meal or a sandwich that can be taken
back to your seat.
We arrive in Paris and transfer by Métro to our
hotel in the Marais, Paris' gay quarter. You will have plenty of free time
to settle in and unwind. |
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Evening |
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This evening we
meet in the lobby for an orientation talk. Pick up your Paris toolkit: Métro
pass, museum pass, map, and hop on / hop off tour bus pass. Afterward we
walk to dinner together at a very special local restaurant where our menu is
prepared by the chef just for our group. |
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10 |
Thursday |
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Paris |
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Morning |
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Free time. Enjoy Paris at your own pace, seeing what most
interests you. Your guide will be glad to help with ideas,
recommendations, and logistics. Start with the convenient hop on / hop
off bus. It takes you all over Paris, stopping at all the major
sights. Your two-day pass allows you to get on and off as many times
as you like.
Today you may join cookbook author and chef David Lebovitz for an
amazing tour of the famed bakeries and pastry shops that make Paris, the
destination for pastry and chocolate-lovers. Your six-hour tour is the
perfect way to see specialty bakeries, and to learn about the pastries and
confections from a professional pastry chef and tour guide. Your day
will begin with morning pastries at a famous, stunningly renovated bakery
and coffee-house on the Champs-Elyées. Steaming bowls of café au
lait and café noir will accompany baskets of fresh, buttery croissants,
tartes, almond-scented brioche, and rich pain au chocolat. Afterwards we'll
head over to La Maison du Chocolat for their thick, rich hot chocolate and
to sample to best chocolates in the world. And this is just the
morning . . . ! (This excursion
is available as an add-on. Cost is dependent on the number of people
in the group.) |
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Afternoon |
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You can't stop
in Paris without a visit to the world's greatest museum, the Louvre.
Don't waste precious time standing in line to get in. We'll show you
the one entrance that almost never has a wait. Then use the museum map
and our self-guided walking tour to see the best the Louvre has to offer. |
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Evening |
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Free time. You are on your own for dinner tonight. Your Tour Director
will be glad to help with restaurant recommendations. |
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11 |
Friday |
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Paris |
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Morning |
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Free time.
Consider a day trip. One
of our favorites is a day-long visit to Versailles, "Sun King" Louis XIV's
astonishing palace, just half an hour outside Paris by train. Or to Chartres, to visit the greatest cathedral in France -- check at the gift
shop for the English-language tour schedule. Consider walking the
labyrinth set into the floor of the cathedral -- it can be a life-changing
experience. You could even spend a day at Disneyland Paris, where Main
Street has a definite Parisian flavor, Mickey Mouse speaks French and you
can have wine with your lunch. |
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Afternoon |
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Free time. If you've stayed in Paris, today is a perfect day for a
picnic lunch on Pont des Arts, the pedestrian bridge across the Seine. We
like to pick up lunch treats on the cheap at Monoprix, the department store
with a little of everything, including quiche, pastries, bread, wine and
fresh vegetables. Afterward, may we suggest a stroll along rue du Bac? There
you'll find art galleries with museum-quality originals for sale. Yes, you
really can own an original Marc Chagall! |
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Evening |
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Free time. What are you in the mood for? Whether it's live jazz, the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower at night,
or a romp through Paris' gay bars, we'll be glad to make recommendations and
help with logistics. |
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12 |
Saturday |
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Paris |
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Morning and afternoon |
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Today we hone our cooking skills in a private cooking class with
professional French chefs. You'll bring home recipes and skills to
impress all your friends! Plus, we get to enjoy the fruits of our
labor, enjoying our lunch in a private dining room. |
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Evening |
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Tonight we enjoy a farewell cruise along the Seine with a sumptuous
four-course dinner, wine and live music. Over the course of the evening
we’ll see the great monuments of Paris illuminated as the sun sets. |
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13 |
Sunday |
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Tour over after breakfast — This morning we say our
final goodbyes and head for home. Au revoir et merci! |
 What
is Gastronomique?
As the name
implies, it is a focus on French food and wine. When creating such a trip,
one has the option of including all the meals as sit-down affairs in fine
restaurants. Instead, I have opted for a broader range of gastronomic
experience. I'll be showing travelers on a budget how to eat inexpensively
but well by choosing delicious fresh food and low-priced regional wines from
a local Monoprix or town market. We'll be tasting wine in several different
wine-growing regions. We'll visit a chocolate shop run by the same family
since 1913. We'll sample brasseries, bistros, bars, pâtisseries, and cafés
along with some of the finest restaurants in France. We'll visit
family-style restaurants where we may be the only tourists. We'll enjoy a
dinner cruise along the Seine. Often our menus are prepared by the chefs
especially for our group. All this makes it a gastronomic experience.
In addition to the food and wine, I want us to enjoy the special treats each
region has to offer: châteaux in the Loire, the tiled roofs and ramparts of
Beaune, the cathedral and canals of Strasbourg, the great monuments of
Paris. So, not only do we savor the French food and wine, but also the
sights, sounds and history of each location.
The itinerary
is laid out like a good meal. We start with the lighter fare of the Loire
Valley. Here the traditional dishes and wines are crisp and light. When we
visit Beaune in the Burgundy region, we experience a heartier, richer
flavor. This region gives us some of the world's finest red wines, as well
as dishes like boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin. Next, Strasbourg has an
even heartier, Germanic flavor, with sauerkraut dishes alongside tartes
flambées. Finally, in Paris, all the great flavors come together in the
continent's most elegant and sophisticated city. Here we'll enjoy not
only a variety of dining experiences, including a dinner cruise on the
Seine, but also our own private cooking class with French chefs!
– Michael
Brooks
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*
Price quoted is per person, double occupancy.
Solo travelers may choose single occupancy and pay
an additional $750.
Ask about our free roommate matching service.
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